Thanks everyone. :-D :-D :-D
Omak seagulls get a really bad press round here. The tourists feed them and then they make a real nuisance of themselves, stealing food from kids' hands and doing their business everywhere. There are warning signs all over Lyme Regis, which is a beautiful town and beach near where I live, with the picture of a gull titled "Public Enemy Number One" and asking not to feed them (which of course you shouldn't!) They do keep the streets clean of spilled ice cream and fries though. :mrgreen:
And they're just a bird at the end of the day, doing their bird thing as nature intended! For me who lived in the centre of France, miles from the sea for 5 years, the cry of a gull combined with the smell of sea air is just the BEST thing! :D :D :D